LE V6 4dr Front-wheel Drive Passenger Van2011 Toyota Sienna

Family Vacation Tests This Minivan's Mettle Predictably, all that size translates into a significant amount of weight. The all-wheel-drive Sienna tips the scales at around 4,750 pounds – about 100 more than the range-topping competition from Chrysler, Honda and Kia. The upside of the bulk is that the interior feels like an aircraft hangar. Space is not a problem. This becomes apparent when you set about loading the cargo area. Toyota lists the official luggage capacity behind the Sienna's third-row seats as 39.1 cubic feet. On paper, that seems like a lot of space, and it is. The pile of stuff we had to pack for the trip included a standard suitcase, two carry-on-sized roller bags, a kiddie-sized roller bag, one large duffel, a standard stroller (not one of those little umbrella deals), a Pack 'n Play (that's a portable playpen/crib for you kidless types), a medium-sized beach bag, two cases of bottled water, a laptop bag, a camera bag, a portable feeding chair for the baby, and at least four of those reusable supermarket shopping bags. (Pro Tip: those "eco-friendly" shopping bags are fantastic for transporting food/snacks, assorted toiletries and other odds-and-ends. Thanks to their flat bottoms and identical sizing, they're easy to arrange in your ride's cargo area as you play luggage Tetris.) We recall thinking that we'd never get everything in the van without folding part of the third row. Talk about unfounded concern. Thanks to the deep cargo well, a useful alcove on the passenger side of the cargo bay, and the high third-row seatback, not only did everything fit nicely, there was room for a little more if we really decided to go for the gusto. The Sienna scored huge points here, because it meant that the passenger area wouldn't have to be cluttered with overflow baggage. The only bags not behind the third row were the ones you'd expect to see: kids' backpacks (containing books, favorite toys, the all-important Nintendo DS, etc.), the diaper bag and my wife's purse. What of the passenger compartment? Let's work back to front, since interior space is what the Sienna's really about. The third row is fairly typical. It's technically set up for three people (it would handle that many kids easily), though two adults would be optimally comfortable. Our daughter had it all to herself. If you need the cargo room, the third row folds into the floor easily to create a flat surface. The second row in the Sienna Limited is composed of two captain's chairs (all Limiteds are seven-passenger vans) that can slide fore and aft up to 23 inches to create massive legroom or help optimize cargo space if the third row is stowed. The convenience of the long sliding range was demonstrated when we had to pull off the highway for a diaper change. Heavy rain meant we had to keep the car buttoned up, but moving the baby's seat all the way back on its track opened up enough floor space to …Full Review

Family Vacation Tests This Minivan's Mettle Predictably, all that size translates into a significant amount of weight. The all-wheel-drive Sienna tips the scales at around 4,750 pounds – about 100 more than the range-topping competition from Chrysler, Honda and Kia. The upside of the bulk is that the interior feels like an aircraft hangar. Space is not a problem. This becomes apparent when you set about loading the cargo area. Toyota lists the official luggage capacity behind the Sienna's third-row seats as 39.1 cubic feet. On paper, that seems like a lot of space, and it is. The pile of stuff we had to pack for the trip included a standard suitcase, two carry-on-sized roller bags, a kiddie-sized roller bag, one large duffel, a standard stroller (not one of those little umbrella deals), a Pack 'n Play (that's a portable playpen/crib for you kidless types), a medium-sized beach bag, two cases of bottled water, a laptop bag, a camera bag, a portable feeding chair for the baby, and at least four of those reusable supermarket shopping bags. (Pro Tip: those "eco-friendly" shopping bags are fantastic for transporting food/snacks, assorted toiletries and other odds-and-ends. Thanks to their flat bottoms and identical sizing, they're easy to arrange in your ride's cargo area as you play luggage Tetris.) We recall thinking that we'd never get everything in the van without folding part of the third row. Talk about unfounded concern. Thanks to the deep cargo well, a useful alcove on the passenger side of the cargo bay, and the high third-row seatback, not only did everything fit nicely, there was room for a little more if we really decided to go for the gusto. The Sienna scored huge points here, because it meant that the passenger area wouldn't have to be cluttered with overflow baggage. The only bags not behind the third row were the ones you'd expect to see: kids' backpacks (containing books, favorite toys, the all-important Nintendo DS, etc.), the diaper bag and my wife's purse. What of the passenger compartment? Let's work back to front, since interior space is what the Sienna's really about. The third row is fairly typical. It's technically set up for three people (it would handle that many kids easily), though two adults would be optimally comfortable. Our daughter had it all to herself. If you need the cargo room, the third row folds into the floor easily to create a flat surface. The second row in the Sienna Limited is composed of two captain's chairs (all Limiteds are seven-passenger vans) that can slide fore and aft up to 23 inches to create massive legroom or help optimize cargo space if the third row is stowed. The convenience of the long sliding range was demonstrated when we had to pull off the highway for a diaper change. Heavy rain meant we had to keep the car buttoned up, but moving the baby's seat all the way back on its track opened up enough floor space to …Hide Full Review

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